Wrench with toggle actuated jaw



Oct. 14, 1947. v. s. WARD ETAL WRENCH WITH TOGGLE ACTUA'ITD JAW FiledMarch 22, 1946 INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 14, 1947 2,428,949 WRENCH WITH TOGGLE oT 'A'rED .JAW

Vincent S. Ward and Gordon K. Hurlbut, Binghamton, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to BM C Manufacturing Corporation, Binghamton, N. 'Y., a corporation of New York Application March 22, 1945, Serial Nerss as io' This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to those of the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,388,580, dated November 6, 1945, and issued to F. A. Snell, and in our co-pending application, Serial No. 650,242 filed February 26, 1946.

In that patent and application is shown a wrench in which a movable jaw is brought to a parallel relation with a fixed jaw, regardless of the spacing of the jaws, by movement of an actuating handle, and the present invention contemplates a structure by means of which similar results are obtained. The present invention relates to improvements in the type of Wrench referred to and by means of which an accurate and selective setting of the spacing of the co-operating jaws is secured. I

The present invention contemplates the provision of a simple, sturdy mechanism by means of which a movable jaw may be set at a selected distance from a fixed jaw in order to grip an object of a given size, said mechanism contemplating the employment of a cam means which is readily adjustable toattain the desired setting, such means being entirely reliable and unlikely to get out of order despite the hard use which a tool of this character is generally given.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a rotary cam member provided on a knurled wheel or similar element, the cam member being maintained in contact with a portion of the linkage to which the movable jaw of the wrench is attached. Through this arrangement the adjusting links in said linkage can be maintained at a desired angularity to determine the spacing of the movable jaw from the fixed Jaw.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wrench constructed according to the invention, the jaws being shown in closed position, and a part of one of the face plates being broken away to disclose construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wrench in open position, with one of the face plates of the frame partly removed to show the operating parts, and Fig. 3 is a view of the back edge of the wrench, as seen from the left side of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the frame of the wrench is generally indicated at I, the same including a pair of similarly shaped, spaced-apart side members or faceplates designated at 2 and 3. The fixed handle portion of the wrench is composed of the narrowed end parts 48 of the face plates 2 and 3, between which is sandwiched an insert l8 which may be composed of plastic, wood or other suitable lightweight, strong material. Riv ets I9 extending through the parts 40 and through the insert [8' hold the parts together, with the face plates 2 and 3 thus maintained in suitably spaced relation.

At 4 is shown the fixed jaw which is mounted between the face plates 2 and 3 at one end of the wrench frame, and is held in place between the plates 2 and 3 by means of the rivets 5 or other equivalent fastening elements. The fixed jaw a maybe provided with a serrated gripping face 6, as shown.

The movable jaw is shown at 8, the same being of substantially bell-crank form, and having the head portion 1, formed with the gripping face 9,

and provided with an arm 3a located between the ends of a pair of companion links H and pivotally attached thereto by the pivot pin ii). The second arm 20 of the movable jaw is pivotally attached by a pin 22 to the companion adjusting links 2| to be shortly described.

At l5 is shown the actuating handle by means of 'which the movable jaw is moved to or from thefixed jaw 4. Said handle l5 has one end located between the ends of the companion links H and is pivotally secured thereby by means of the pivotv pin l2 which has its ends disposed in angular slots 13 formed in the sides or face plates 2 and 3 of the frame of the wrench. By movement of the handle l5 in a direction to or from the fixed handle, pin [2 will be caused to ride up and down in the slots l3 in a manner to be described.

At I6 is shown a pair of short companion links which are pivoted at M to the actuating handle [5, at a point between the pivot I2 and the free end of said handle, the opposite ends of the links It being pivoted on the pin ll, said pin being secured between the sides or face plates 2 and 3 of the frame I.

The construction of the means for adjusting the movable jaw 8 will be noted in Figs. 1 and 2. There it will be seen that the two companion links 2| have an arm 28 of the jaw 8 sandwiched between them at one end and pivoted to them by means of the pivot pin 22. The opposite ends of the links 2| are each formed with a nose portion Rotatably mounted on pin 21 between the face plates 2 and 3 of the wrench frame is a knurled adjusting wheel 3! and secured to the opposite faces of the wheel 38 is a pair of like cams 3| operative against the nose portions 23 of the links 2|. A spring 38, having one end attached to pin 31 in the frame, has its opposite end attached to the lower end of links 2i and holds the nose portions 23 thereof in constant contact with cams 3 I. To prevent free rotation of the adjusting wheel 30, a pawl 33 is provided, said pawl having-teeth which engage the knurling 29 of the wheel 30. Pawl 33 is pivoted on pin 32 and it is maintained in a constant position of engagement with the adjusting wheel 30 by means of the spring 35.

This arrangement is such that by depression of the arm 34 of the pawl 33, the adjusting wheel 30 can be manually rotated to cause the cams 3! carried by it to swing the links 2| on their pivot 25 to any desired angular position, to determine the spacing of the gripping face 9 of jaw 8 from the face 6 of the fixed jaw 4.

It will be seen from the structure described, that when the actuating handle is moved toward the fixed handle portion of the frame I, it will cause the movable jaw 8, through the arrangement of linkage disclosed, to swing toward the fixed jaw 4 to an extent determined by the angular position of the links 2| as determined by the position of cams 3!. The movable jaw will assume a position of parallelism to the fixed jaw when the movable jaw reaches the limit of its inward swing and then, when the pin I4 passes the over-center position, the parts will be locked in close clamping relation with any object to be grasped between the jaws. When releasing the object by swinging the handle l5 outwardly, or to the position shown in Fig. 2, it will be noted that the slots I3 permit the descent of the pivot pin l2 to the lower ends of these slots, and this descending movement of the pivot I2 under the swing of the handle l5, exerts a longitudinal pull on the links 1 l, causing them to impart a swinging movement on the movable jaw, thus swinging said jaw about the pivot 22 to bring its gripping face 9 to the angular position shown in Fig, 2, and at once permitting the release of the object then located between the jaws.

In the construction described it will be noted that the adjustment of the movable jaw relative to the fixed jaw is secured by simple cam means, allowing an accurate and precise setting of the jaws.

While I have shown and described one embodi- 4 ment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto but is broad enough I to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a tool of the character described, a frame including a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, a pair of substantially parallel links pivoted at one end to the jaw, one of said links being pivoted at its other end to the frame, a handle, the second link being pivoted at its second end to said handle, a linkage connection between the handle and the frame, the first link having a nose portion projecting beyond its point of pivotal connection to the frame, a rotatable cam mounted in the frame and having its cam surface operative against said nose portion to thereby swing said link on its pivot when the cam is rotated, and means for maintaining the nose portion in constant contact with the cam. f

2. In a tool as provided for in claim 1, wherein the cam is operated by an adjusting wheel partly protruding outside of the frame, and the means for holding the nose portion against the cam consists of a spring, and means for engaging the wheel to hold the same against inadvertent rotation.

3. In a tool of the character described, a frame including a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, a pair of substantially parallel links pivoted at one end to the movable jaw, one of said links being pivoted near its other end to the frame, a handle, the second link bein pivoted at its second end to the handle, a linkage connection between the handle and the frame, the first link having a nose portion projecting beyond its point of pivotal connection to the frame, a rotatable cam rotatively mounted in the frame with its axis of rotation disposed substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the pivot between the last-mentioned link and the frame, said cam bein provided with a cam surface operative against the nose portion to thereby swing said link on its pivot when the cam is rotated, and means for retaining the nose portion in constant contact with the cam.

VINCENT S. WARD. GORDON K. HURLBUT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 249,477 Nelson Nov. 15, 1881 2,420,020 Snell May 6, 1947 

